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Re:DecryptoCat by tptacek on Thursday July 04, 2013 @11:48AM (#5991160)
To be a good crypto-builder, I think you need to be a good breaker. I don't think that holds for other kinds of building.
Re:DecryptoCat by kragen on Thursday July 04, 2013 @12:31PM (#5991365)
I meant for software in general; I guess you don't agree? My reasoning is that you have to think systematically about what can go wrong in order to be a good programmer, which is a skill that you can only acquire by finding bugs in programs.
Re:DecryptoCat by tptacek on Thursday July 04, 2013 @04:22PM (#5992284)
No, I don't agree. I think in many cases it's possible to code defensively without having what my partner Dave calls "killer instinct", the X-factor for being good at finding vulnerabilities in systems. Also, good breakers have to deal with arbitrary technologies; a good developer can specialize, substituting experience and depth of knowledge for intuitive feel.